Wisconsin Football: 5 Biggest Offseason Transfer Portal Additions
By Dillon Graff
Luke Fickell and the Wisconsin Football team endured plenty of challenges in his first year as the head coach of the Badgers but are laboring to try and right some of those wrongs this offseason.
With the Big Ten conference set to expand in 2024, it's become more important than ever to try and keep pace with the top-tier programs in terms of NIL so you can retain your own and supplement your roster with transfer portal acquisitions.
While it's important to remember that the portal doesn't produce perfect prospects, there's no denying that it can be a valuable tool to bring in schematic fits and expedite the re-tooling process if you're coach Fickell.
The Wisconsin football transfer portal class rankings currently stand at No. 9 according to On3 and No. 11 on 247Sports, respectively. That's a pretty damn good place to start on a roster that was devoid of difference-makers this past season, especially on defense.
Let's examine the top five transfer portal additions the Wisconsin Badgers have made this offseason, in no particular order.
Miami QB Tyler Van Dyke
For the second straight offseason, the Wisconsin football team thought it best for the program to add a veteran quarterback from the portal.
This year, that player was Miami transfer Tyler Van Dyke, who joined the Badgers with one year of eligibility. He's expected to earn the QB1 job and mentor a promising young group of signal callers, such as Braedyn Locke, Nick Evers, and Mabrey Mettauer, while they develop for the future.
Van Dyke might not be the dual-threat option some were hoping for, but he has 28 career starts at a Power 5 school under his belt and should help Phil Longo and company improve the Badgers ailing passing attack.
Wisconsin football adding an experienced quarterback who has thrown for 7,469 passing yards, 54 touchdowns, and 23 interceptions, with 11 career games with 300+ passing yards, is objectively a good thing.
Nobody's saying he's going to answer all of the Wisconsin Badgers' offensive problems, but Van Dyke was a rock-solid pickup at the most important position in football.